Poor little Vivian! She struggles a bit with tummy troubles, and her tears and frustrated expressions break my heart.  I think she has sensitivities to some of the foods I eat, so I’m trying my best to avoid things that I think might be causing her distress.  So far I’ve figured out that Brussels sprouts [...]

As I have written about many times before, I really really REALLY hate plastic.  I avoid it whenever possible, and I am always looking for ways to cut it out of our lives.  It has become so prevalent in our culture that we easily forget just how awful it is for the planet (not to [...]

Like most college students, my roommates and I had a hodgepodge collection of kitchenware in our house.  Mismatched silverware, chipped plates, random mugs – basically, whatever our parents no longer needed in their kitchens came to school with us.  This included a wide selection of scratched pots and pans, some of which were coated with [...]

I was recently asked to try out Salba, a form of the ancient whole grain chia.  It might have the same name as the ch-ch-ch-chia that I spread on terra cotta animals as a kid, but this time around my family and I consumed the chia, and much to my surprise I believe we are [...]

Last week the Breast Cancer Fund released a report about concerning levels of BPA in many prepared Thanksgiving foods.  BPA, an estrogenic chemical linked to breast cancer, is most often found in plastics (one of many reasons I try to avoid plastic altogether).  However, BPA is also found in other surprising places like grocery store [...]

While reading through a local magazine the other week I came across a review of “Homegrown & Handmade,” a book written by Deborah Niemann.  Because she is a local Illinois woman who left the urban jungle in search of the country life, I was instantly intrigued. This is my new favorite book for so many [...]

Shortly before my daughter turned 3, we moved her out of her crib and into a big girl bed.  I must admit that I was a bit anxious about the transition – would she sneak out of bed? would she fall out of bed? would she miss her crib?? To ease her into the idea, [...]

    A fellow Homemade Mother recently emailed me this picture: She took it while visiting her local children’s hospital. Sigh. Not one item in this machine will nourish the body, mind or spirit of an otherwise beleaguered parent looking to pass a few moments while waiting for her child to undergo another test or [...]

About a year and a half ago I wrote a post about my interest in raw milk.  All the milk sold in American grocery stores is pasteurized at either 161 degrees for 15 seconds or 145 degrees for 30 minutes.  Pasteurization kills any dangerous bacteria potentially lurking around, but this process also “destroys enzymes, diminishes [...]

As a Homemade Mother, it is my goal to bring comfort and security to my family.  Whether its a kiss on the knee when Mack trips or a extra long cuddle when Evie has a tummy ache or a bowl of homemade soup when Chris is feeling sick, I’m happy to soothe any boo-boo. I [...]